Tag: Week 13

George Pickens finally got his medicine—in the form of Week 13 fines

George Pickens’s poor sportsmanship has put the NFL in a position to take action, as he accumulated over $20K in fines from Week 13.

It appears WR George Pickens’ immaturity has finally caught up to him. After a series of mishaps, immature antics, and on-and-off-the-field displays of poor sportsmanship, the NFL has decided to fine Pickens for his Week 13 actions.

In a throwback to the penalty-filled 2021 season, Pickens was hit with a taunting penalty in the first quarter of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 13 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals.  Pickens would ultimately receive of a fine of $10,231 for the unnecessary antics.

Pickens was later flagged again for unsportsmanlike conduct, this time for making a gun-like hand gesture while celebrating. The NFL has cracked down on violent or firearm-related gestures, imposing heavy fines on teams or players who engage in such behavior. This penalty would add an additional $10,231 in fines for Pickens, bringing the sum total of his Week 13 fines to $20,462.

Fans can understand where Pickens’ energy and excitement for big-time plays factor into all of this. However, over $20K in fines and 30 penalty yards later, was it truly worth it for the young wide receiver?

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Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco made a strong impression in Week 13 return

Kansas City #Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco made a strong impression in Week 13 return | @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco made his much-anticipated return to the field in Week 13 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Considering the many weeks of rehabbing his ankle injury, he exceeded many expectations.

Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy spoke highly of Pacheco’s performance during his conversation with reporters on Thursday.

“I thought he (Isiah Pacheco) did a great job. It doesn’t surprise me,” said Nagy. “I was – for that seven seconds that he was running the football down the sideline, I was just – you think back to the moment when he got hurt and for that one play right there to have an explosive play. We haven’t had a whole lot of those explosive runs this year, so I think it was a 33-yard run (and) those are nice. It gets the guys going. We need to get more of those, no matter who it is, but he certainly brings that to the offense.”

Pacheco returned to the field after being placed on injured reserve earlier in the year and broke free in the third quarter for a 34-yard rush to move the Chiefs quickly downfield, marking the club’s longest rush of the season. He led Kansas City’s rushing attack against the Raiders with seven rushes for 44 yards.

Browns CB Greg Newsome II takes shots at Steelers WR George Pickens ahead of Week 14 rematch

Greg Newsome II calls out George Pickens for the receiver’s selfish play ahead of the Steelers-Browns Week 14 matchup.

The bad blood between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns in Week 14 appears to be starting early, as Browns CB Greg Newsome II held nothing back when discussing his potential matchup with Steelers WR George Pickens.

Week 14 will mark the second meeting between Newsome and Pickens, with their first WR-CB matchup being marred by the chaotic fight that followed the Steelers’ failed Hail Mary attempt in Week 12.

Newsome claimed that Pickens is so focused on himself that he’s willing to jeopardize the Steelers. He argued that anyone who disagrees need only look at the wide receiver’s recent penalties caused by his immature outbursts.

Pickens will need to keep his composure in Week 14’s matchup against the Browns. With his recent in-game implosions and immature antics, teams are likely to focus on pushing him to snap. Fans can watch all the drama and action unfold when the Steelers take on the Browns on December 8 at 1:00 PM EST.

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Rich Eisen says Broncos’ win was ‘beyond huge’ in Week 13

The Broncos’ win over the Browns on Monday was “beyond huge” for Denver’s playoff chances, Rich Eisen said this week.

Rich Eisen has emphasized the importance of the Denver Broncos’ 41-32 win over the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football in Week 13.

“The Denver Broncos are 8-5 through 13 weeks heading into their bye week, seventh overall in the American Football Conference,” Eisen said on his radio show earlier this week. “This game that they came up with [on Monday] was beyond huge. If they had lost it, they would have been 7-6 heading into their bye, after which the also bye-weeking Indianapolis Colts are coming to town.

“And a victory for [the Colts] in that game would have put them in the playoff spot that they are vying for. Because they would have had the same record as Denver and they would have had the tiebreak. And instead, Denver goes into its bye with three straight wins, 8-5, with some cushion when Anthony Richardson and the Colts and Jonathan Taylor come and visit them in Week 15.”

By beating the Browns, the Broncos are now on the doorstep of a playoff berth. If Denver beats Indianapolis, the Broncos will need just one more win and one Miami Dolphins loss to clinch a playoff spot this season. After taking care of business against Cleveland, attention now turns toward Indy. That will be a huge came for Denver coming out of the bye week.

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Fans react to former Steelers WR Diontae Johnson’s suspension

Fans hilariously react to Diontae Johnson’s suspension, reflecting on his struggles and Mike Tomlin’s ability to manage wide receivers.

2024 has not been kind to former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson. From being traded off two NFL teams to becoming practically nonexistent in the Ravens’ dynamic offense, and now being suspended one game for refusing to enter Baltimore’s Week 13 matchup against the Eagles, one has to wonder: is Steelers HC Mike Tomlin not getting enough credit for his handling of dramatic wide receivers?

Fans of the Black and Gold have seen their fair share of diva-esque meltdowns and dramatic moments from wide receivers like Johnson, Antonio Brown, Chase Claypool, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and George Pickens, to name a few. However, under Tomlin’s regime, neither Johnson nor any of the other receivers were ever allowed to implode to this degree.

Johnson should view this suspension as a blessing in disguise, giving him a chance to reflect on his recent behavior and return to competing for playing time on an NFL team—rather than potentially following in the footsteps of other disgruntled receivers no longer in the league.  Here are several of the best fan reactions to Johnson’s recent suspension from the Baltimore Ravens.

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Seahawks waive WR/KR Dee Williams

Seahawks waive WR/KR Dee Williams

Dee Williams has muffed his last return for the Seattle Seahawks. On Thursday, the team officially waved cornerback/return specialist Dee Williams following yet another game with a fumble. Against the New York Jets, Williams fumbled a kick off after New York already scored, leading to another Jets touchdown to give them a 14-0 lead over the Seahawks.

Handling returns has been a season-long misadventure for Williams, and has contributed to Seattle’s mostly atrocious special teams this year. It appears the Week 13 game against the Jets was the final straw for both Williams, and his fellow return man Laviska Shenault Jr. – who was waived earlier this week, and recently claimed by the Chargers.

Shenault and Williams almost single-handedly gave the game away to New York with their fumbles. Clearly, this was not a situation the Seahawks were willing to risk happening again. Seattle has officially cleaned house at this position. Filling the role is likely to be wide receiver/return specialist Jaelon Darden, who was claimed by the Seahawks after being waived by the Cleveland Browns this week.

As mentioned earlier, Seattle’s special teams have been a considerable liability for the team. The usually rock-solid unit has given away far too many points/opportunities to opponents. The Seahawks were fortunate to be playing the perennially dysfunctional Jets, but had they been competing against an actually competent team, they might not have been able to overcome such self-inflicted wounds.

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Steelers DT discusses brutal hit on Bengals RB

Cam Heyward reflects on the huge Chase Brown hit and the ensuing reaction, showcasing his dominant season as the Steelers’ veteran leader.

One of the biggest hits of the season took place between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13.  Co-host of the Not Just Football with Cam Heyward podcast, Hayden Walsh, asked the Steelers defensive tackle to discuss the play where he blew up Bengals RB Chase Brown in the backfield during Week 13. Though unintentional, Heyward stated that officials during the game informed him that while the hit was clean, stepping over Brown went too far.

The Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman hilariously referenced the photo of him standing over Brown, comparing it to NBA’s Allen Iverson standing over Tyronn Lue, but explained that he was simply trying to stand up after making the play.

Walsh continued to stir the pot, letting Heyward know that the play caused him, like most of the Steel City, to jump out of their seats. Heyward chuckled, stating, “I was trying to wake up everyone in the seats.”

Plays like the one where Heyward blew up Brown on the run have become increasingly common in recent weeks for the Steelers defensive tackle. At 35 years old, Heyward continues to turn back the clock, putting together a career year this season.

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Karl Mecklenburg: Sean Payton’s experience paid off on ‘MNF’

Karl Mecklenburg’s advice to Broncos players during the bye: “Lay on a beach somewhere and stay out of trouble.”

The Cleveland Browns gave the Broncos a scare on Monday night. The Broncos defense was sorely missing their starting cornerback Riley Moss. Cleveland targeted his replacement repeatedly with success. Cleveland put up over 500 yards of offense, but Browns quarterback Jameis Winston threw three interceptions, two of which the Broncos returned for touchdowns. The Broncos secondary seemed confused at times, missed tackles became an issue, and former Broncos receiver Jerry Jeudy had a huge game for the Browns. Despite the blown coverages, Broncos players came up big with pressure on the quarterback, and interceptions at key times, keeping the Broncos in the game.

Denver’s offense was able to keep up and win the shoot-out that the game turned into. This isn’t how the Broncos have won games this year. I’m sure Denver’s coaching staff was expecting our defense to hold down the Browns the way they have with most opponents. It was rewarding to watch the Broncos offense rise to the occasion and make big plays to match the Browns big plays. The game plan had to change quickly, and Denver’s offense handled the situation well.

Have you gone into a business situation or family situation and been surprised? How did you react? Were you able to switch gears and get right back in the game? Coach Payton’s experience paid off this week. The Broncos coaching staff made changes before the game got out of hand. The Broncos have their bye this week and players will be able to rest and heal. After training camp and 13 games with no off time, every player has various levels of injury. Instead of just jumping into preparation for the next game, the coaching staff will be able to do some self-scouting to make sure they aren’t becoming too predictable. Go Broncos! Lay on a beach somewhere and stay out of trouble.

Karl Mecklenburg originally shared this post on his social media pages and it was re-shared here with permission. Mecklenburg played for the Denver Broncos from 1983-1994, earning six Pro Bowl nods and five All-Pro selections during his decorated career in the NFL. Mecklenburg is now a motivational keynote speaker. You can book Mecklenburg on his website. 

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Joe Brady’s ability to adapt led to Bills offense onslaught in snow

Joe Brady’s ability to adapt led to Bills offense onslaught in snow

After the Buffalo Bills’ 35-10 beatdown of the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13, the team is now 16-3 since Joe Brady was promoted to interim offensive coordinator after Week 10 last year.

Brady has changed the Bills’ offense to put his own flare on things. In return, the game has slowed down and simplified for Josh Allen.

No more sitting in shotgun for the majority of the game and spreading out five wide. No more relying on Allen to make things happen every other play.

Allen’s passing yards per game (224.3) is at its lowest since 2019. His rushing yards per game (27.8) is at its lowest since 2020. But most importantly, the team is off to its best start in decades at 10-2.

Brady’s approach has a direct impact on the 10-2 record. His playcalling style, although limiting to Allen’s statistics, has Allen with only five interceptions to this point. It’s on pace to be a career-low.

In return, the Bills are scoring points at the second-highest clip in the NFL (29.6 ppg). And, they are elite on offense all while keeping it simple.

Brady has made life the easiest for Allen that he’s seen thus far in his career. He’s spamming run plays until the defense stops it. He’s using motion pre-snap to uncover the defense. He’s using a sixth offensive linemen to make running easier. He’s going under center and using play action. Above all, he’s been willing to adjust and beat a team in a plethora of ways.

The Bills offense can shapeshift. And that’s exactly what they did in the Sunday night win.

According to the Buffalo Bills Notebook, the Bills were in shotgun for their first six plays in Week 13, and those plays resulted in just 12 yards. Brady decided to mix things up early. Over the Bills’ next 50 plays, Allen was under center for 38 of them.

On adjusting early, Brady said, “We knew it was going to be a weather condition game, but until you’re out there, every snow game is a little bit different.”

Until the Bills got out there in Week 13, they didn’t know just how bad the footing would be on the playing surface. After an early three-and-out, Bills players and personnel got on the same page and adjusted the game plan.

The shift in the offensive identity early on resulted in a season-high 220 rushing yards on their way to 35 points scored. James Cook averaged 7.6 yards per carry while Ray Davis averaged 5.7 per pop. The adjustment to playing under center was so effective that Allen and the starters were able to hit the bench early in the fourth.

That’s exactly what you want to see in an offense and a playcaller. First, the players’ talent and ability to be able to be used in different ways, and second, a coordinator’s trust and awareness to change things after just one failed drive.

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Seahawks DE Leonard Williams named Defensive Player of the Week

Seahawks DE Leonard Williams named Defensive Player of the Week

The Seattle Seahawks are on quite a roll with their defenders in the national spotlight. Of course, back to back weeks with game-changing interceptions returned for touchdowns tend to get you noticed! On Wednesday morning, it was announced Seattle’s very own Leonard Williams was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his monstrous performance against the New York Jets.

Williams was nothing short of an absolute terror in the Meadowlands, recording four tackles (three for a loss), two sacks, an interception and a 92-yard touchdown – the longest by a defensive lineman in league history! He even had a blocked PAT in the first quarter.

Williams has been playing out of this world football as of late. In the 16-6 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, he recorded six total tackles and 2.5 sacks. Big Cat believed he should have been named Player of the Week for this performance, but those honors went to his teammate Coby Bryant – who also had a pick-6 against the Cardinals.

The Seahawks defense is on a tear right now, laying waste to any quarterback daring to challenge them. Seattle held the 49ers to their lowest output under Brock Purdy, they held a Kyler Murray-led offense out of the end zone, and shut out Aaron Rodgers over three quarters of football. This unit has officially arrived under head coach Mike Macdonald.

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